Remember This: The key in leads generation is not how to generate leads online but what to do with those leads.

Everyone wants to know how to generate leads online. Honestly, the answer is everywhere. The key is not HOW but WHAT to do with those leads.

First, let me quickly run through with you how to generate leads online.

1) Advertise

There are lots of ways to advertise online, including PPC, email advertising, banners etc. What’s important in advertising is knowing where to find your prospects and then pay to reach them. It’s as simple as that.

2) Article and video marketing

Article and video marketing are essentially the same. Everyday, millions of people are searching for information, in the form of article or video. Your challenge is to make your article/video available to them, and then lead them to your website.

3) Search engine optimization

I don’t have to explain what is search engine optimization, do I? Get your website found in the search result and you’ll see lots of free traffic to your website. I’ve written lots of articles about it in this blog.

4) Joint venture

This is one of the fastest ways to generate lots of leads within a short time, similar to advertising. But it is risk free, because you usually pay your joint venture partners a commission rather than an upfront fee.

5) Make use of the media

How do you know when the latest generation of iPhone is out? Is it through Apple’s advertisement, or through the media telling you that people are queuing outside Apple shop? The media is always looking for events with news value. If you can create such events, there is a chance that you can get the media’s attention and have some free publicity.

6) Affiliate marketing

Run an affiliate program and give your affiliates enough reasons to promote your website. The second part is the key. If you simply have an affiliate program, you are likely to fail.

7) Social media marketing

My definition of social media marketing is not about Facebook or Twitter. To me, it is simply an online version of word-of-mouth marketing. People interact, be it through Facebook, Twitter or forums. If you can get people to talk about your product, you will get lots of leads from everywhere. You can either leave it to luck, to plan to make it happen!

I probably may have missed a few ways to generate leads online. If you have other ways, feel free to list them in the comments session below.